Baseball - Down on the Farm

It can be pretty tricky and difficult to construct a dynasty fantasy baseball team and deciding on which minor leaguers you should draft, especially if you aren’t familiar with too many minor leaguers. It is important to do your research and make sure that you are drafting the players you believe will be the best players in the future and who will be able to step in and help your fantasy team once your veteran players are no longer with you dynasty team. But minor leaguers could also be very valuable to your team even if you’re not in a dynasty league. If you are in a very deep fantasy league, drafting a minor leaguer towards the end of your draft could be very valuable for you as an owner. For instance, in my Yahoo head-to-head categories league, we have a 30 round 12 team draft, but do not have a minor league roster spot. Because the league is so deep, I always opt to draft one minor leaguer towards the end of the draft as opposed to drafting a player that will be worthless to my team, being used as a rotating roster spot that I keep filling through the waiver wire and free agent pick ups.

Now the question is, who should you draft? Most fantasy owners that I know and speak to aren’t up-to-date on the latest minor leaguers, unless their name is Bryce Harper. Many fantasy baseball owners are casual fans that follow the major leaguers, but aren’t exactly focused on the happenings in a minor league ball park near you. That’s where I come in. I am here to help you. You could go to Baseball America or become an ESPN Insider and read about the top prospects from professional scouts. There’s just one problem; their reviews aren’t always conducive for fantasy baseball. Fantasy baseball doesn’t (rarely) take into account a players defense like professional scouts do. That’s part of their job, to rate players as a whole. As fantasy owners, we want to zone in on players that will produce stats in categories that are constructed for fantasy baseball leagues. We also want players that will help our fantasy baseball team in the near future and down the line. Let’s take a look at the top 50 minor league fantasy baseball prospects.

1 – Bryce Harper, OF (Washington Nationals) – Harper has already become a house hold name among fantasy baseball owners; a 5 tool player that has hit everywhere he has played. We all know about his prodigious power that will certainly have Harper among the league leaders in homeruns for a number of years. Harper will also fill up the stat sheet in fantasy categories by hitting for average, taking walks (which will have a great effect on his OBP), hitting doubles, and could even steal you 20+ bases in a season. Davey Johnson wants him to start the season in the show, but I expect him to start the first few months at AA, unless he tears the cover off the ball in spring training. Depending on when Harper gets called up, you can expect him to have a great rookie season.

Recommendation: Must Own in All Leagues

2 – Matt Moore, SP (Tampa Bay Rays) – Moore is already being heralded as the next great Rays prospect and is expected to hold down a spot in the starting rotation to start the 2012 season. What’s not to like about Moore? He was promoted to the bigs at the end of the season in 2011, and similar to how the Rays handled David Price when he was first called up, they eased him in by having him come out of the bullpen. And he dominated. Granted, it was only 9.1 innings, but he struck out 15, walked 3, and posted a 2.89 ERA and 1.286 WHIP. Small sample size, but it is consistent with his minor league numbers. Moore’s SO:BB ratio has improved each year in the minors, including a jump from 3.41 at A+ in 2010 to 4.57 between AA and AAA in 2011. I believe he will be the AL ROY and will have a better season than his teammate and reigning ROY, Jeremy Hellickson.

Recommendation: Must Own in All Leagues

3 – Mike Trout, OF (Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim) – Trout made his major league debut for the Angels in 2011 at the tender age of 19. After initially struggling when he was first called up in July, the Angels sent him back down to the minors and was very productive. Trout was called back up to the majors in August and carried his hot bat from AAA back to the show. Once September rolled around, Trout began to struggle once again. You might be able to attribute his struggles to the fact that he played in a total of 131 games last year, a rigorous schedule for a player his age. But he also racked up 131 total games in 2010. I attribute it to a player going through growing pains when he first hits the majors. He is still a 5 tool player and will only be 20 years old at the start of the 2012 season. He might start the season in the minors, but expect him to get plenty of playing time at the big league level in 2011.

Recommendation: Must Own in All Leagues

4 – Jesus Montero, C (Seattle Mariners) – Montero plays a premier position that doesn’t have many elite players which is one reason he is so high on this list. He’s also #4 of this list because of how great of hitter he is and can become. Montero struggled while he was in AAA in 2011, but many people believe he wasn’t focused and bored. Once the Yankees called him up, he posted good numbers. He should begin the year with the Seattle Mariners major league club, and with some new motivation of facing big league pitching and showing the Yankees they made a mistake for trading him, Montero should hit for average and power. He may not play more than 40 games behind the plate, but that’s perfectly fine by us since he’ll have catcher eligibility and will not take the beating of a catcher. Many scouts compare him to a Frank Thomas type hitter. Make sure you grab him.

Recommendation: Must Own in All Leagues

5 – Shelby Miller, SP (St. Louis Cardinals) – Miller is a power pitcher who has averaged 11.4 strikeouts-per-9 innings since he was drafted out of high school. He has also only allowed 0.4 HR every 9 innings, pretty remarkable stat. Although Miller is only 21 years old, I expect to see him with the Cardinals at some point in 2012. He could eventually be an ace of the Cardinals staff.

Recommendation: Must Own in All Leagues

6 – Manny Machado, SS (Baltimore Orioles) – Machado’s biggest knock right now is that he doesn’t take enough pitches and strikes out too often, but remember, he just finished up his 2^nd season in the minors and was only 19 years old. As he gets older, he will become a more disciplined hitter and should hit for a higher average. Machado should also bulk up and start hitting for more power. Don’t expect him up in the show for a few years, but once he gets there, he could become an all-star caliber shortstop and one of the top run producers at his position.

Recommendation: Must Own in Dynasty Leagues

7 – Jurickson Profar, SS (Texas Rangers) – Profar will be 19 years old when he starts the 2012 season, but scouts already love his baseball IQ. He has already shown pop in his bat, hitting 12 homeruns, 37 double, and 8 triples in his first full minor league season. Profar is also a theft on the bases swiping 23 bags last season. He may not hit 20+ HRs in the bigs, but he should still be able to collect a lot of extra base hits which will fill up categories in doubles, triples, XBH, and SLG. He is still about 2 seasons away (could be delayed a little longer with the Andrus extension), but he should be on everyone’s dynasty roster.

Recommendation: Must Own in Dynasty Leagues

8 – Jacob Turner, SP (Detroit Tigers) – Turner isn’t a strikeout machine, but he will get his fair share of K’s. He is more polished and control oriented and will force hitters into ground balls which usually means keeping runners off base, hence, keeping that ERA and WHIP down, something we all like. He won’t turn 21 until May, but he could be promoted to the show sometime during the 2012 season and figures to make a great combo at the top of the rotation with Justin Verlander.

Recommendation: Must Own in Dynasty Leagues

9 – Julio Teheran, SP (Atlanta Braves) – Teheran is regarded as the best Braves pitching prospect and even got a taste of the major leagues in 2011. Unfortunately, it wasn’t all roses and sunshine. I wouldn’t worry because he was only 20 years old when he made his debut. He will strike out a lot of batters, something he has done throughout the minors, but there is one red flag; his SO:BB has declined as he has advanced through the system into AA and AAA. I’m sure that will improve, but it is something worth keeping an eye on.

Recommendation: Must Own in All Leagues

10 – Taijuan Walker, SP (Seattle Mariners) – Walker is a hard thrower who can clock his fastball up to 98MPH. Walker is just 19 years old so he is still very young and very raw. One stat that all fantasy owners will love is that he struck out 10.5 batters every 9 innings in A ball in 2011. He was a little wild at times, but his control eventually came around, walking 39 in 96.2 innings. Walker is highly regarded in the Mariners organization and throughout baseball, and as he is one of the reasons the M’s were willing to trade Pineda because they had Walker and other pitching prospects in the system.

Recommendation: Must Own in Dynasty Leagues

11 – Gerrit Cole, SP (Pittsburgh Pirates) – Cole had a brief stint in the minors after the Pittsburgh Pirates selected him with the #1 overall pick in the 2011 draft. He made an impression in the minors where he struck out 16 batters in 9.6 innings. He was once a 1^st round pick of the Yankees, but opted to attend UCLA instead. He should be the future ace of the Pirates, and could be up as soon as 2013.

Recommendation: Must Own in Dynasty Leagues

12 – Jameson Taillon, SP (Pittsburgh Pirates) – Taillon has good size (6’6’’) and a good fastball that reaches the upper 90s. He has good control and should accumulate a lot of strikeouts at the big league level. Taillon’s SO:BB ratio was an impressive 4.41 in his first season in minors, one stat that should carry over into the pros. Pittsburgh also feels that Taillon, like Cole, could be an ace of their staff. Both Taillon and Cole should be a dynamic one-two punch for years to come in Pittsburgh.

Recommendation: Own in Dynasty Leagues

13 – Trevor Bauer, SP (Arizona Diamondbacks) – Another UCLA product and college teammate of Gerrit Cole, Trevor Bauer only pitched in 7 games in the minors in 2011, so his numbers are from small sample sizes. The numbers don’t look great, but they don’t tell the whole story. He had two terrible outings with really inflated his numbers. The other 5 innings he was lights out, striking out 43 batters in just 29 innings. Bauer should be pitching with the DBacks in 2012.

Recommendation: Own in All Leagues

14 – Bubba Starling, OF (Kansas City Royals) – Starling was the 5^th overall pick in 2012 but should have been off the board sooner, but some teams were afraid he’d opt to play football in college if he didn’t get the money he wanted in order to sign. The Royals took a chance on drafting the local product and both parties were able to work out a deal before the deadline to sign that year’s draft picks. Scouts love Starling and you can tell why they do just from watching video on him.  Starling is an excellent athlete and many believe he can be a superstar, and because of that, I had to rank him here and feel that he needs to be drafted in every dynasty league.

Recommendation: Must Own in Dynasty Leagues

15 – Devin Mesoraco, C  (Cincinnati Reds) – The Reds called Mesoraco up in September, but he didn’t do much with the playing time he was given. His production correlated with his first 3 seasons in the minors where he had a terrible .311 OBP and didn’t hit for average or power. In 2010 everything changed. Mesoraco showed patience by walking a lot more and developed power where he posted a .302/.377/.587 line with 26 HRs in 3 levels in the minors. In 2011 he continued to produce power numbers and also and continued to be patient, which is a good sign that he continued to build in those areas. He should be the everyday catcher for the Reds in 2012 and can hit for average and power.

Season: Own in All Leagues

16 – Anthony Rendon, 3B (Washington Nationals) – Rendon was hampered with injuries throughout his college career, but he still compiled good numbers and is expected to move through the Nationals organization quickly. Although his power numbers were down last year in college, he still shows a lot of promise in that department and is expected to hit for roughly a .300 average. He is currently a 3B, but with Ryan Zimmerman manning that position, he could be moved to either 2B or 1B, but I believe he will stick at 3B and Zimmerman may be the one that gets moved to 1B. What is also intriguing is the prospect of him hitting in the same lineup as Zimmerman, Bryce Harper, and Desmond etc…which will only help his numbers.

Recommendation: Own in Dynasty Leagues

17 – Dylan Bundy, SP (Baltimore Orioles) – Bundy didn’t just dominate his opponents in high school, he completely embarrassed them by striking out 322 batters in 151 innings and recorded an insane 0.20 ERA. Granted, it is high school, but scouts regard him as a can’t miss prospect and do not expect him to spend more than a couple years in the minors. Bundy has a shot to be an ace and is the reason I have him rated so high over other players with minor league experience. I’d rather draft Bundy for his ceiling over some other players that have proven track record, but don’t have star potential Bundy has.

Recommendation: Must Own in Dynasty Leagues

18 – Danny Hultzen, SP (Seattle Mariners) – Hultzen had a cup of coffee in the Arizona Fall League after being drafted by the Mariners 2^nd overall in the 2011 draft. He dominated the league like he did in college, striking out 8.33 batters-per-9 innings and only walked 2.33-per-9 innings. He could be a September call up in 2012 but is expected to be competing for a spot in the rotation in 2013. Hultzen is another reason the Mariners were willing to trade Pineda for Montero.

Recommendation: Own in Dynasty Leagues

19 – Wil Myers, OF (Kansas City Royals) – Originally a catching prospect, the Royals decided to move Myers to the outfield during the 2011 season. Myers tore through the Rookie League in 2009 and continued to do so in 2010 in A ball, hitting for average, power, and even showed some speed swiping 12 bags in 2010. In 2012, Myers began to struggle as he went up against tougher competition in AA. The most significant drop in numbers was in his power, most notably in his slugging as it dropped down from .679 and .506 in Rookie and A ball, to .393 in AA. Myers also needs to cut down on his strikeouts. He is blocked right now by Lorenzo Cain, Alex Gordon, and doesn’t help that Jeff Franceour signed a 2 year deal this off season. But if anyone suffers an injury or doesn’t perform well, I don’t think the Royals will be hesitant to promote Myers if he gets off to a hot start in AA and shows he’s capable of handling big league pitching.

Recommendation: Must Own in Dynasty Leagues

20 – Manny Banuelos, SP (New York Yankees) – Banuelos impressed many people last year in Yankees spring training and many Yankee fans were holding out hope that he’d make the opening day roster. Unfortunately for Banuelos, the Yankees sent him down to the minors. Things didn’t get much better. His numbers continued to progressively get worse as he advanced through the system. His strikeouts-per-nine went down from 9.0 to 8.1, still good number, but a red flag. His walks-per-nine have increased at each level from 2.8 in the Rookie League and A ball, to 4.9 in AA, and 5.0 in AAA. If he can improve his control, at worst he’ll be is a #2 starter. If he doesn’t, he could end up being the next Daniel Cabrera; a player with lots of potential with high strikeout rates, but terrible control that will wear out his welcome quickly.

Recommendation: Must Own in Dynasty Leagues

21 – Jarrod Parker, SP (Oakland Athletics) – Parker was the main piece in the trade that sent him to Oakland in exchange for Trevor Cahill. Parker moves to a pitcher friendly ballpark in Oakland that has helped almost every pitcher that has gone through Oakland.  He had Tommy John surgery in 2010, but is now fully recovered. It takes some time for the control to come back, and that was the case with Parker. After a disappointing April in 2011, Parker posted a 3.01 ERA and his walks-per-nine dropped to 3.4. His strikeouts-per-nine also dropped in 2011 to 7.7, but that is due to the Tommy John surgery and he found new ways to get batters out. He has a legitimate shot at the A’s rotation this year which makes him very intriguing. He may not rack up a ton of wins because of the putrid A’s offense, but all of his other numbers should be good enough for you to own him.

Recommendation: Must Own in All Leagues

22 – Anthony Rizzo, 1B (Chicago Cubs) – Rizzo struggled while he was with the Padres last year hitting just 1 HR,  driving in only 9, and finished with a .141/.281/.242 line. His time in AAA was a complete 180; hitting 34 doubles, 26 homeruns, 101 RBI, and had a .331/.404/.642 line over the course of 93 games. Rizzo has shown power throughout the minors and now that he is playing for the Cubs, Wrigley should help his power numbers. Rizzo is also expected to compete for the job to be the Cubs every day first basemen to start the year, but ultimately, I expect him to get some more seasoning in the minors to start the year.

Recommendation: Must Own in All Leagues

23 – Carlos Martinez, SP (St. Louis Cardinals) – Martinez has received comparisons to Pedro Martinez for his size but also due to the fact that he has hit triple digits on the radar gun. During his 2 years in Rookie and A ball, Martinez has record 11.0 strikeouts-per-nine and a 3.03 SO:BB ratio. He has struggled with his command once he advanced to high A, but I don’t think that is anything to worry about because he still posted gaudy strikeout numbers. He has potential to be an ace, so make sure you keep an eye on Martinez.

Recommendation: Own in Dynasty Leagues

24 – Miguel Sano, 3B (Minnesota Twins) – Still only 18 years old, Sano terrorized the Rookie league with 18 doubles, 20 HR, 59 RBI and even stole 5 bases in just 60 games. He also hit for a .292 average and slugged an impressive .637. He will be a 3B when he reaches the majors, but if he gets any bigger, he may be moved to 1B. Sano does strikeout a lot, but that shouldn’t keep you away from drafting him because he has tremendous power potential. Remember, Adam Dunn struck out a lot, but you took his 40+ HRs every year. That’s the power potential he has, but could also hit for average as well.

Recommendation: Must Own in All Dynasty Leagues

25 – Archie Bradley, SP (Arizona Diamondbacks) – Bradley has great size for a power pitcher standing at 6’4’’ and weighing 225lbs and should remain durable. He was the 7^th overall pick in 2011 and made his debut in the Diamondbacks instructional league where he threw for 15 innings while giving up only 5 hits and struck out 22. Many believe he should breeze through the minor leagues and could make his debut with the D-backs as early as 2014.

Recommendation: Must Own in All Dynasty Leagues

26 – Travis d’Arnaud, C (Toronto Blue Jays) – d’Arnaud is a very intriguing catching prospect who played the entire 2011 season in AA and produced his best numbers across the board. d’Arnaud showed power potential slugging 21 homers, 33 doubles and batted .311/.371/.542. The Blue Jays love him both offensively and defensively and feel that he could challenge J.P. Arencibia for the job next year, or make Arencibia expendable.

Recommendation: Must Own in All Leagues

27 – Tyler Skaggs, SP (Arizona Diamondbacks) – Skaggs has recorded impressive strike out numbers over the course of his minor league career averaging 10.6-per-nine innings. Skaggs was promoted to AA in 2011 and pitched 57.2 innings and continued to impress scouts by striking out 73, walking only 15, and posted a 2.50 ERA. I expect Skaggs to make his major league debut sometime this season.

Recommendation: Own in All Leagues

28 – Francisco Lindor, SS (Cleveland Indians) – Lindor is another prospect on this list who was drafted in 2011, 8^th overall in fact. Lindor is a talented switch hitting shortstop who projects to have power from both sides of the plate and is expected to steal a lot of bases based on his speed and base running ability. He should provide good all around numbers at a premier position.

Recommendation: Own in Deep Dynasty Leagues

29 – Mike Montgomery, SP (Kansas City Royals) – Montgomery’s stock took a big hit last year due to his rollercoaster year. He had periods during 2011 where he looked like a great pitching prospect, then other times which he struggled, especially with his command.  That wasn’t the first time there were signs of command issues. At the end of his 2010 campaign when he was promoted to AA, Montgomery walked 3.9-per-nine, up from 1.0 and 1.5 in Rookie league and A+. In 2011 his walks-per-nine jumped to 4.1. I’d be on the cautious side of drafting Montgomery, but he could be worth the risk because the Royals still believe he will be a front line starter, and could be with the club this season.

Recommendation: Own in Deep Leagues

30 – Nolan Arenado, 3B (Colorado Rockies) – Arenado has progressively moved up the system from Rookie, to A, to A+, spending one year at each level. He has excelled at each level hitting for average and his power has improved from the result of him getting stronger which are shown by his homerun rate that has continued to climb each year. He should be an extra base machine in the bigs and could hit roughly around 20 homeruns. Sounds a lot like Todd Helton-lite, but at 3B. Maybe not as much power as Helton displayed early on his career or the average that Helton hit for, but could be a similar type of hitter. It also doesn’t hurt that he will be playing his home games in Colorado.

Recommendation: Must Own in Deep Dynasty Leagues

31 – Zach Wheeler, SP (New York Mets) – Wheeler was the main player in the deal that sent him to the Mets in exchange for Carlos Beltran in 2011. He is thought of highly in the Mets scouring department because he can strike batters out at a very good rate. His first 2 years in the minors, Wheeler struck out 199 over the course of just 173.2 innings. He should start the year at AA which should be much more challenging for him, and then we can get a clearer picture of how good he will be, although I believe he will be very good. Wheeler has walked 4.7 every nine innings, so control needs to improve, but I believe that will improve as he matures and really learns how to pitch to batters. You can probably expect to see Wheeler sometime in 2013.

Recommendation: Must Own in Deep Dynasty Leagues

32 – Martin Perez, SP (Texas Rangers) – The good: He’s only 20 years old and is able to strike batters out at will. The bad: Perez lets runners on base too frequently via walk and hit. Yes, he does have red flags, but the Rangers have shown that they can develop young pitchers in their system. Add that to the fact that the Rangers should still be good by the time he gets to the big leagues, which could be this year, so that should equate to wins.

Recommendation: Must Own in Dynasty Leagues

33 – Drew Pomeranz, SP (Colorado Rockies) – Pomeranz was the 5^th overall pick in the 2010 draft and pitched very well in both A+ and AA in 2011, allowing only 68 hits over 101 innings. He also struck out 119 but did walk a total of 38. Pomeranz has shown good control and can locate his pitches where batters have a difficult time putting good wood on the ball. That might become more difficult as major league hitters may lay off pitches outside of the strike zone, just something to keep an eye on. He could be in the Rockies rotation this season.

Recommendation: Must Own in Dynasty Leagues

34 – Yonder Alonso, 1B (San Diego Padres) – Alonso is finally free of Joey Votto and will now start at 1B for the Padres, barring a terrible spring training. Alonso has a good eye at the plate with some pop in his bat. Biggest issue for Alonso will be playing his home games at Petco Park, not exactly a hitter friendly atmosphere. Alonso has consistently been in the .360-.370 OBP range throughout his minor league career and I expect that to remain relatively in the same range while he’s on the Padres.

Recommendation: Must Own in All Leagues

35 – Josh Bell, OF (Pittsburgh Pirates) – Bell, like many of the players on this list, was drafted in the 2011 draft amateur draft. He was drafted in the 2^nd round right out of high school where he dominated  players his age, displaying  lots of power and plate discipline; striking out just 5 times. He has a chance to be an impact player, quite possibly an all-star, who should hit for average and power.

Recommendation: Own In Deep Dynasty Leagues

36 – Christian Yelich, OF (Miami Marlins) – Yelich has already displayed in his first 2 years in the minors that he can flat out hit, and hit for a high average. The biggest question mark is whether or not he’ll be able to hit for power which is an area that the Marlins would love coming from an OF position. Yelich just turned 20 years old in December so he still has time to put on more muscle. He did hit 15 homeruns in 122 games in A ball, so the possibility is still there. Just don’t expect 30 HR seasons.

Recommendation: Own in Deep Dynasty Leagues

37 – Brad Peacock, SP (Oakland Athletics) – Peacock could be fighting for a spot in the A’s rotation this season, and why shouldn’t he? He came over from the Nationals in the trade for Gio Gonzalez and had an impressive showing at the AA level in 2011. At AA he tossed 98.2 innings, posted a 2.01 ERA, an incredible 0.861 WHIP, allowed just 5.7 hits per nine innings, struck out 11.8 per nine, and had a SO:BB ratio of 5.61. When he was sent to AAA, those numbers dipped some, but AA is where the big time prospects hit and are more of major league prospects. Peacock will also have the luxury of pitching in Oakland which will keep the homeruns down (allowed just 0.6 HR/9 in 2011, 0.8 his entire minor league career) and should also continue to have a good ERA and WHIP when he’s in the show.

Recommendation: Own In Deep Leagues

38 – Zach Lee, SP (Los Angeles Dodgers) – Only 19 years old, Lee struggled when he first reported to the Dodgers Single A team in 2011. Half way through the season, he found a groove and his numbers improved greatly. He finished with a 3.47 ERA, 1.220 WHIP, 91 K’s, and 38 BB while most of those walks came at the first half of the season. The Dodgers would like to see his strike out rate rise and he has time to work on that because he is still a few years away. Lee has the ability to become an impact pitcher for L.A.

Recommendation: Own In Deep Dynasty Leagues

39 – Mike Olt, 3B (Texas Rangers) – Olt has displayed a lot of power at both the Rookie and A+ level, but also crushed the ball in the Arizona Fall League this past off season. He won’t challenge for a batting title, but he will hit for a decent average (could see him in the .270-.280 range), and he can be counted on to collect both doubles and homeruns. Although Olt is currently blocked by Adrian Beltre, he isn’t expected to be ready before the 2013 season. If that’s the case, the Rangers will find a place for him to play.

Recommendation: Own In All Dynasty Leagues

40 – Matt Harvey, SP (New York Mets) – Harvey dominated in his stop at A+ in Port St. Lucie throwing 76 innings and recording 92 strike outs, a 2.37 ERA, and a 1.197 WHIP. He initially struggled when he was promoted to AA at Binghamton where he finished with 4.53 ERA and 64 K’s over 59.2 innings, but Harvey shined over his final 47 innings which confirmed his first 12 innings were an aberration. In the final 47 innings Harvey gave up just 38 hits and only allowed a .218 batting average against and posted a 3.24 ERA. I expect him to be in the Mets rotation sometime this season.

Recommendation: Own In Deep Leagues

41 – Michael Choice, OF (Oakland Athletics) – When Michael Choice reported to the minors after he was drafted in 2010, he played in 30 games and slugged 7 HRs with .964 OPS, showing right away why the A’s organization and Bill Beane drafted him. There were still, and still are, a lot of questions whether or not Choice will turn into a good every day slugger. Choice silenced some more critics in 2011 by playing in 118 games in A+, hitting 30HRs, 80RBI, 28 Doubles, walked 61 times , and showed he will not  just be an all or nothing hitter by batting .285 with a .376 OBP and .542 SLG. Granted, his power is what is most attractive, but he does have a knack for striking out a lot. If Choice can hit for power like this at the major league level, which some still question, he will be a very valuable fantasy player. Although the A’s outfield gets more crowded by the day, I expect him to make his major league debut later this year.

Recommendation: Own In Deep Dynasty Leagues

42 – Arodys Vizcaino, SP/RP (Atlanta Braves) – Vizcaino sat out the 2010 season with an elbow injury but in 2011 he was completely healthy and he picked up right where he left off in 2009, and actually pitched even better. Vizcaino pitched at every level in the minors and continued to strike people out at a clip of 10.3-per-nine innings and displayed great control with a WHIP of 1.134 and walked only 2.6 between all 3 levels. Only reason Vizcaino is this low in the rankings is because there is talk of the Braves turning him into a closer or set up man. You can expect to see him sometime in 2012.

Recommendation: Own In Deep Dynasty Leagues

43 – Sonny Gray, SP (Oakland Athletics) – Gray had a terrific career at Vanderbilt and he is hoping that continues in his professional career. He was drafted 18^th overall in 2011 and showed right away why the A’s loved him. After he signed with the A’s, he had a quick 1 game stint in the Rookie league and was quickly promoted to AA where he started 5 games. Over the course of those 5 games, Gray pitched 20 innings, struck out 18, and posted a 0.45 ERA and a 1.050 WHIP. The biggest knock on Gray is his size, standing at only 5’11’’, some wonder if he’ll be able to handle the load a starting pitcher endures. Gray  has 2 great pitches with his fastball and slider/curve, but needs to improve on his changeup which he can use as his out pitch. There is the possibility he could be with the A’s later in the 2012 season, but I fully expect him to be in the A’s rotation in 2013.

Recommendation: Own In Deep Dynasty Leagues

44 – Gary Brown, OF (San Francisco Giants) – Brown is a speedy CF who will make things happen with his legs. After he had a full season at A+ in San Jose, Brown showed why he will be valuable to any ball club, especially to a fantasy team. He hit with average (.336), got on base (.407 OBP, 46 BB), slugged .519 with 14 HR, 34 2B, 13 3B, but the number that most people will be looking at are his 53 stolen bases, a number that should translate over to the big leagues. Brown doesn’t strike out too often either, so he will put the bat on the ball. He needs more time in the minors and we need to see if he will continue to put up these numbers against tougher competition. At the very least he will be a player you can count on for SB, Runs, and Triples.

Recommendation: Own In Deep Dynasty Leagues

45 – Wilin Rosario, C (Colorado Rockies) – Rosario is another backstop prospect who was on his way to becoming one of the best rated prospects after his season in 2010 which he put up .285/.342/.552 with 19HR and 52RBI in just 77 games at AA. 2011 wasn’t as pleasant. He played in 29 more games in 2011 than he did in 2010, but all his numbers were down across the board at AA again. In 2011 he hit .249/.284/.457 with 21 homeruns and 48 RBI. The biggest red flag was his .284 OBP due mostly to the fact that he walked only 19 times in 426 plate appearances. That’s alarming and is more consistent with his previous 5 years in the minors.  He will hit homeruns which is what you like from your catcher, and because he is a catcher, he’s worth looking at over another fringe position prospect.

Recommendation: Own In Deep Dynasty Leagues

46 – Bryce Brentz, OF (Boston Red Sox) – Brentz is another power bat that struggled when he was first promoted to a higher level of A ball mid way through the 2011 season. After adjusting to the better competition, Brentz came around and slugged .531 with 19 homeruns, 58 RBI, and 15 Doubles in just 75 games in A+. Between the two leagues, Brentz had 30 homeruns, 94 RBI and a .306/.365/.574 line. He will hit for power and should hit enough doubles and homeruns in Fenway to be on anyone’s minor league roster. You can expect Brentz to possibly have a significant role with the Sox in 2013.

Recommendation: Own In Deep Dynasty Leagues

47 – Rymer Liriano, OF (San Diego Padres) – Liriano has the ability to fill up the stat sheet with his speed and some power. He walks a lot, which will help his OBP and lead to opportunities for him to steal bases and score runs. Many project him to be a 20-20 player with the possibility of more upside, possibly 30-30, although I think that is a bit of a reach. Liriano is still young but it seems as though he started to put things together last year where he hit .298/.365/.465 with 31 doubles, 9 triples, 12 HR, and 66 stolen bases in 131 games. He is still a few years away from being promoted to the big leagues.

Recommendation: Own In Very Deep Dynasty Leagues

48 – Nick Castellanos, 3B (Detroit Tigers) – Castellanos put together a fine season in A ball in 2011 and displayed great plate discipline and some power. He has shown that he will hit for average (.312) and should  bat in the middle of the lineup where he will be able to drive in runs (76 RBI) because he has some pop (36 doubles). Although he only had 7 homeruns, some of those doubles should turn into homers as he matures and gets stronger. Another positive, he should be ready by 2014, the year Victor Martinez comes off the books for the Tigers, and will be ready to take over 3B full time, leaving Fielder and Miggy splitting time at 1B and DH.

Recommendation: Own In Very Deep Dynasty Leagues

49 – Anthony Gose, OF (Toronto Blue Jays) – Gose, like Gary Brown, is a speedster that will swipe a ton of bags, but unlike Brown, might not provide much else. Twice in his minor leaguer career, Gose has stolen 70+ bags. He has a total of 194 steals over 409 games, which is the equivalent of 2.5 major league seasons. That comes out to be 78 stolen bases per season. Gose also needs to cut down on his strikeouts and take more walks if he wants to be an everyday player. He should focus on getting on base at a .380 clip. If he does that, he will be winning SB category every year.

Recommendation: Own In Very Deep Dynasty Leagues

50 – Gary Sanchez, C (New York Yankees) – With Jesus Montero now gone, Gary Sanchez is without question the catcher of the future for the Yankees (Austin Romine is also an option though). He suffered a thumb injury at the end of the 2011 season, just as he was putting up great numbers and rounding a great season. Sanchez will be an offensive minded catcher who should hit for power and drive in runs. It also doesn’t hurt that he will play his home games at the new Yankee Stadium. Sanchez just turned 19, so he won’t be up with big league club for a few years, but because of his position, he’s a player that you should definitely draft if you have a minor league farm system.